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Japanese Cadets Take Flight in January Rankings after Wins at Yarygin GP

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (February 1) – Cadet champions Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Sae NANJO (JPN) made their debut as seniors with triumphs at the Yarygin Grand Prix and vaulted onto the United World Wrestling rankings for January in the Top 10.

Three-time cadet world champion Susaki, 17, defeated five opponents by a combined score of 48-0 to join the 48kg rankings at No.7 – just below the six Rio 2016 Olympic Games gold and bronze medal finalists led by Eri TOSAKA (JPN) and Mariya STADNIK (AZE).

Asia cadet champion Nanjo, also 17, recorded a pair of falls on her way to the title at 55kg to join the rankings at No.10. Mayu MUKAIDA, who won the world title at 55kg seven weeks earlier, rolled to the 53kg crown in Krasnoyarsk and remains top-ranked at 55kg.

Japan’s fourth titlist at the Yarygin Grand Prix, Katsuki SAKAGAMI (60kg), vaulted to No.9 in the rankings after capping her victory with a 5-2 win over defending champion and European bronze medal winner Yulia PRONTSEVICH (RUS).

Meanwhile, PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL), who saddled world and Olympic Games champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) with a loss at 58kg last year, moved up to 63kg and defeated Rio 2016 Olympian Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) for her second Yarygin title and No.6 in the women’s welterweight rankings.

Tamyra MENSAH (USA) also bumped off Rio 2016 Olympian OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) in the 69kg final to advance one rung to No.8 in the rankings with her first international win in two years.

At the Paris Grand Prix, Rio 2016 bronze medalist at 58kg Marwa AMRI (TUN) – the only Olympic Games medalist in action in January – notched a pair of falls on her way to the 63kg crown, solidifying her claim to No.3 in the rankings at 58kg.

Junior world champion Khoumba LARROQUE (FRA) climbed three places to No.15 at 63kg with her first victory at the senior level – at 69kg on the strength of two technical falls including a 12-0 win over four-time European silver medalist Ilana KRATYSH (ISR).

Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most notable or most recent result over the last 12 months, and their position in the previous rankings.

Eri TOSAKA (JPN)

48kg – Jessica BLASZKA (NED), a bronze medal winner at the Las Vegas 2015 world championships, regained a toe-hold in the rankings at No.18 with a victory at the Paris Grand Prix.

69kg – Tamyra MENSAH (USA), a podium fixture for more than three years, defeated Rio 2016 Olympian OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL), 8-4, in the final of the Yarygin Grand Prix to bag her first international crown outside of North America and secure No.8 in the rankings.

75kg – World student runner-up Cynthia VESCAN (FRA) defeated 2015 world bronze medalist Epp MAE (EST), 4-1, in the second round and held on for the victory at the Paris Grand Prix. Vescan’s win was the tie-breaker when both wrestlers ended the Nordic tourney with three wins each, lifting her from No.17 to 11th in the rankings.